Presently in gaming arcades, a traditional hardware and software machine setup caters to an extremely simplified gaming experience designed mainly to eliminate any learning curve with a particular game, with the intent of enticing potential players to participate readily.
It is apparent, though, that in the last few years the videogaming industry has grown tremendously, currently with revenues rivaling major movie production houses, truly becoming a new form of entertainment. In this respect, an immense number of gamers are already exposed to a multitude of games that they can play at home, and complex ones that provide a richer, more rewarding experience. In effect, the offerings at traditional game arcades seem dated by comparison, not managing to capture the attention of many gamers past a few rounds.
The hardware and software constraints designed to provide a lower common denominator, and bring in a broad range of players, are effectively working against generating revenue. A highly repetitive gameplay with no real surprises in the storyline can't keep a player entertained for too long.
Another factor that only adds to the problem is that there is usually a high cost associated with not only developing customized software for a specific type of game machine, but it is also much more difficult to upgrade it, this way missing out on the benefits of a rapidly evolving industry
For the home environment, the videogaming market is growing rapidly, and more and more people prefer this form of entertainment to more passive, traditional ones, such as watching TV.
Both computer gamers and console garners are today using inadequate means to combine a visual display, the entertainment unit itself, whether a console or a computer, and the multitude of peripherals available that are required for a rewarding experience, such as joysticks, steering wheels, etc. This decreases the quality of the gameplay and makes for a complicated setup process, resulting many times in a frustrating and time-consuming procedure and sometimes even damage to cabling or parts and accessories.
Currently, there is no known device or furniture item that would provide an effective way of arranging all the necessary gaming and other peripherals together, while maintaining ease of access to each of them separately or together. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,663 to Hill shows a video game apparatus that has a rocking base, with an optional stabilizing system. However, in this patent, there are no means to attach multiple video game peripherals and no option to ergonomically posture the seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,476 to May et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,868 to Wynn, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,305 to Hocking disclose certain ways to integrate a chair with multiple computer peripherals. These patents, however, choose to bring a screen and a set of input devices in front of a user by swinging a cantilevered arm from a side, which poses a number of practical and structural problems.
Thus, while there are many initiatives to either provide separately gaming furniture or accessories to facilitate videogaming, or improve the ergonomic quality of an office workstation, computer desk or office chair, there have been virtually no efforts made to improve the gaming related needs of a computer/workstation user, or integrate a chair, a workstation and multiple gaming accessories into one integrated unit.
Thus, no compact units for either home use or gaming arcade machines exist that provide flexibility to accommodate a rapidly changing technology, provide enhanced gameplay of familiar and popular game titles, or accommodate a broad range of human dimensions and a diversity of ergonomic postures.